We are strong believers in the power of virtual communication. After all, this is what Speexx is about - empowering communication across borders. But I have to admit, every once in a while it helps to meet face-to-face. For example, at our annual Speexx Exchange event. And this is why we came up with Speexx Exchange - our series of events where we meet clients, users, e-learning industry experts and friends to discuss topics we care about as a company - empowering global organizations to communicate, talent management, online language learning, web-based training, social, mobile and much more. Last year, we met in 5 cities around the world and this year, we are hosting events in Milan, Paris, Madrid and Berlin. This year’s topic is quite straight forward: We´d like to discuss why e-learning-empowered organizations are so much more agile and profitable. Which best practice really gets results? And where is the e-learning industry headed today? Speexx Exchange 2012 will take an in-depth reality check on the state of the e-learning industry. No future talk, just facts. Meet industry leaders, hear and talk about best practice for deploying global e-learning scenarios at scale and get the latest results from Europe’s leading e-learning industry research. Join us on the eve of the Online Educa 2012 event for half a day packed with networking opportunities, expert presentations, discussion, interaction and - great food. For the Berlin event on November 28, register here, seats are limited! Can’t make it to Berlin? Meet us at one of our other Speexx Exchange autumn editions in Madrid, Paris or Milan instead. Even better than Speexx Exchange 2011 Last year’s Exchange event drew an audience of more than 250 HR and L&D professionals from all over the world to discuss "The Future of Learning". The conference featured French e-learning Guru Michel Diaz, Martin Raske (Head of Global E-learning Solutions at Crédit Suisse AG), Spanish industry expert Maite Sáenz, edublogger Kirsten Winkler of www.kirstenwinkler.com and many more. This year´s line-up includes Laura Overton from Towards Maturity in the UK, Pascal Debordes of CEGOS, presentations from the African Development Bank, Richemont SA, and many more. We can’t wait to see you there!   The post Madrid, Paris, Berlin, Rome - Speexx Exchange 2012 Events coming soon! appeared first on speexx exchange.

Looking back at the London 2012 Olympic Games, it is undeniable that the United Kingdom is rich in talent. From the opening to the closing ceremonies, the world saw Great Britain as front-runners, not only in sport but also in music, technology and fashion. And many from multicultural and multilingual backgrounds. Yet when it comes to business, much of this talent remains largely untapped. While the economy struggles out of recession, the pressure mounts on businesses to find more innovative ways of enhancing revenue streams. The latest estimate from the National Institute for Economic and Social Research revealed that output in the UK grew by only 0.2 percent in the last three months. Looking outside domestic trade may therefore be an alternative way to boost business growth. This will only be possible, however, if cultural shifts in integrating multilingual communication skills in the workforce are actively implemented.   It’s all about communication In a rapidly changing workforce, language skills provide the key to communicating across borders and operating efficiently. Multilingual learning also opens up intercultural dialogue and better communication amongst staff. This, in turn, increases efficiency, quality, accuracy and the smooth running of business operations. There is a lot to learn from booming businesses in countries such as India and China. These have invested much time and resources  in developing and implementing communication skills training within their labour force. And now, they are reaping the rewards. The UK is in a unique position as it has an abundance of multicultural talent from all over the world in its backyard. Yet many organizations fail to ensure that skilled migrant workers are identified, trained and positioned appropriately within the company. Read more about this in our latest post on Ingenious Britain. The post Communication skills to boost growth: Britain’s got talent appeared first on speexx exchange.

Is Globish the answer to all your business communication needs? Digital technology has transformed global business into a fast-paced competitive environment, unconfined by time and space. As more and more organizations access an international pool of customers and staff, communication skills become essential to improving productivity and forging bonds across borders. Slow economic recovery in large parts of the Western World has also meant that businesses are under greater pressure to tap into new revenue streams outside domestic markets in an effort boost growth. Do you speak Globish? Let us compare the near-stagnant business growth in the United Kingdom to the stream of success enjoyed by countries such as China and India. One outstanding difference is that these markets have invested a significant amount of time and energy in improving communication skills within their labour force. Many organizations in English-speaking nations assume they need not worry about language training because most business is conducted in English. In reality, however, the international business space demands communication in Globish. First coined in 1995 by Jean-Paul Nerrière, a former vice-president of marketing at IBM, Globish denotes a simple form of English made up of 1500 words which is becoming the widespread common dialect of the non-Anglophone business. Many workers in countries such as China and India are so proficient in Globish that they can actually communicate with each other in this simplified language more easily than with British-standard English speakers, whose regional accents, pitch or idioms may not be widely understood. There are roughly 380,000,000 native speakers of English, an impressive figure. But compare this to 300,000,000 Chinese learning English. Within the next ten years, they will make China into the world’s largest English-speaking nation. Even ten years ago, a British Council report suggested that there will be over 2 billion speakers of English by 2015. Native speakers are strongly outnumbered by those who speak English as a second language. Therefore, even though the English language finds its roots in the United Kingdom, organizations in the English-speaking world still need to embrace the Globish phenomenon if they wish to open the international doors of business understanding. But will Globish be enough for you and does your organization speak Globish? Read more on this in our latest post at growthbusiness.co.uk. The post The Globish Phenomenon appeared first on speexx exchange.

The first two Speexx Exchange e-learning events were a huge success! We are just half way through the European circuit - with Milan and Berlin still to come - and we’ve already had twice as many visitors as we had at Speexx Exchange 2011. On November 13th, the Salon des Miroirs venue in Paris filled with e-learning experts and L&D specialists for half a day to share international findings and opinions on the current state of the e-learning industry. Among the speaker panel for Speexx Exchange Paris were Pascal Debordes of Cegos, Olivier Charbonnier of Interface, Zofia Sorokowska of Bel and Pascal Bignier of IGPDE. The conference was followed by cocktails and some great networking opportunities with numerous global organizations. The audience’s feedback in terms of agenda quality, round table topics and speakers’ presentations was phenomenal. 8 days later, November 21st, the second edition of our annual events series kicked off - this time in Madrid. Around 100 attendees, speakers and Speexx represenatives gathered at the Cámara de Comercio Alemana para Espana, with yet another fantastic line-up of experts, including Luis Huete of TopTen Management, Juan Carlos González of AEDIPE, Maite Sáenz of the Observatorio Recursos Humanos magazine, Mario Stofenmacher of Cegos, Enrique Díaz of GREF and many more. Recent research findings, studies and discussions gave attendees of Speexx Exchange Madrid a unique insight into the latest e-learning trends, leaving them hungry for next year’s event. Find out more about Speexx Exchange Paris and Speexx Exchange Madrid. For more photos, visit our Speexx Facebook page. Next up are Speexx Exchange Milan on November 27th and Speexx Exchange Berlin on November 28th. Stay tuned for more updates! And finally: don’t forget to join our global e-learning Reality Check Survey! Around 200 organizations have taken part so far and you’ll also have the chance to win an iPad, so make sure you take part and have your say!     The post Speexx Exchange 2012 Starts off with a Bang appeared first on speexx exchange.

Speexx Exchange 2012 is over for this year! Involving 4 major European cities, 400 attendees and dozens of inspiring presentations, our annual series of e-learning events brought together experts from around the globe to discuss the state of the e-learning industry and conduct an exclusive Reality Check. The 2012 Reality Check Each year, we gather all over the world to discover e-learning best practice initiatives from global leaders and to open up new discussions about current industry movements on an international level. In parallel, our annual Speexx Exchange survey reveals the attitudes of global organizations towards learning & development trends provided attendees with solid facts and figures to benefit them in learning scenarios on the ground. It’s not too late to join the Speexx Exchange survey and have your say - you’ll even be in with the chance to win an iPad 3! Here’s a sneak peek of the results we’ve received from the 200 organizations which took part so far: - 89% considered communication skills to be crucial to their organization’s success - 94% believe that cloud-based learning solutions will gain even more importance in the future - 49% have implemented or are planning to implement mobile learning strategies Stay tuned for more details! Even better than last year Speexx Exchange 2012 took place across four major European cities: Paris, Madrid, Milan and Berlin to offer a total of 400 attendees (twice as many as last year!) and speakers the chance to network, learn from each other and open up new avenues for e-learning ideas and opportunities. Partners, clients, attendees and media representatives travelled from all over the world to exchange their knowledge with a fantastic line-up of experts from organizations such as Richemont, Airbus, Nokia Siemens Networks, Towards Maturity, Vodafone, Cegos, Bel, African Development Bank, Obervatorio Recursos Humanos, Vodafone and many more. Thank you to everyone who attended Speexx Exchange and made the event circuit even more amazing than last year! Staying in touch Attendees confirmed that they were extremely  impressed by the diverse blend of speakers and regarded Speexx Exchange as an highly valuable learning opportunity. 90% said they would be interested in joining again next year. You can find more impressions, highlights and quotes via our Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Accounts and on the Speexx Exchange homepage. To register interest for Speexx Exchange 2013, drop us a line: info@speexx.com.   The post A Resounding Success: Speexx Exchange 2012 appeared first on speexx exchange.

When describing Speexx as a global online language training service with local support, we often use the term glocalization. I would really love to claim this one for myself but actually it first appeared in the late 1980s in articles by Japanese economists in the Harvard Business Review. The term simply combines the words globalization and localization. It was invented to emphasize that the globalization of a product or service is more likely to succeed when the product or service is adapted specifically to each locality it is marketed in. Sociologist Roland Robertson, who is credited with spreading the term, describes glocalization as the tempering effects of local conditions on global pressures. At a 1997 conference on "Globalization and Indigenous Culture," Robertson explained that glocalization "means the simultaneity — the co-presence — of both universalizing and particularizing tendencies." Glocalization everywhere There are plenty of popular examples for successful "glocal" enterprises; among the best-known are McDonalds and KFC. The increasing presence of fast food chain restaurants worldwide is an example of globalization. A fast food chain’s menu adaptations to local palates, on the other hand, is an example of glocalization. Perhaps even more illustrative of glocalization: For promotions in France and given the French’s legendary unease with the sort of mass-market American culture that McDonald’s has come to epitomise, they simply sacked the familiar Ronald McDonald character. Ronald’s replacement comes in the form of  a champion of Gallic culture - Asterix. Another well-known example is Coca Cola - described in an interesting blog post on the BBC website by Nathalie Nahai, author of ‘Webs of Influence: The Psychology of Online Persuasion‘. She puts the effects of glocalization pretty straight: "English is dead, long live ‘glocalization’. Glocalization in Education Which brings me to languages and online learning in a global workplace: A global technology platform like the ubiquitous cloud-based learning and performance management systems we see at large corporations around the world is a great way to disseminate information. But on its own, it does not teach anything. Many organizations make the costly mistake of assuming that, just because they have one centralized system, it can be applied to everything, everyone and anytime. A "one-size-fits-all" approach, however, is not pragmatic and most often does not work. This is because the objective, drive and capacity to learn varies strongly among individual users. Therefore, a successful talent management solution is about "glocalization," which in this context is about implementing one streamlined, global solution complemented by local support. The more we look at organizations on an international scale, the more we see the need to address learning diversity by way of age, gender and culture. Local support starts with a technical help desk, who can implement the technology and the methodology. Local tutors are also necessary, who can teach languages in a way that is suited to the cultural and learning needs of the particular set of students. In this way, organizations can effectively embrace the opportunities that new technologies have to offer and unlock the full potential of talent within their workforce. The post The Need for Glocalization appeared first on speexx exchange.

For those inexperienced in American business, the language of Finance English can appear dry and straightforward. Despite this common belief, even a native English speaker can be lost in the world of high finance slang. The scenario: A skyscraper conference room on Wall Street, a mid-market firm is looking to select a financial advisor. This process of selection is known in the finance world as a beauty contest. As the company and the banking team gather around the table, the bankers lob their pitch. ‘We’ll need to ramp the cash flow multiple by three in order to leverage the action on the street this year. We also expect to bring out the big guns in order to get the boys in the backroom thinking about sweetening this deal.’ Even a native English speaker might shake her head and ask: ‘What? English please!’ To someone with a lot of experience in the business world, the above statement can be translated as follows: ‘We’ll need to increase revenue by a multiple of three in order to take advantage of this year’s national economic growth and buying frenzy. We also expect to introduce something of interest (e.g. financial projections, new product line-up, etc.) in order to encourage the decision-makers to offer more money for this transaction.’ Even after this translation to English vernacular, this statement still contains specific corporate finance language. But where did all of this business jargon come from? It is commonly the case that even highly educated native English speakers are not familiar with the origins of business slang. Curiously enough, a lot of business slang derives from America’s favorite pastime, baseball. For example, in business you might be told to either ‘play hardball’ or ‘get out of the big leagues.’ The reason that baseball has so affected the modern American business tongue can be traced back to the 1920s. During this period of economic boom, both blue- and white-collar workers alike found a common bond in the pleasure of baseball. This is attributed to a general reduction of labor hours, more free time and an overall higher quality of life. Today, however, the world of finance has transformed into its own sports arena, and the slang originally used on the baseball diamond has transformed with it. Therefore, companies seeking financial advisors usually bring in lawyers in order to translate for them at the negotiating table. Some suggestions for playing hardball in the American market? Don’t just study the bottom line, otherwise the fat cats might gain too much ground and the figure may be way out of your ballpark. So, before you’re saddled with debt, ask your colleagues at the round table to straighten out their lingo. After all, a fair game requires a level playing field, don’t you agree? By the way, why not boost your financial English in our free webinar series? One of our top native trainers will help you get the key banking and financial vocabulary needed for your daily work in the industry.

With ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN fast approaching us on the 5th and 6th December, it’ s hard to believe that the event is now in its 19th year. The conference brings together more than 400 speakers and 2,000 participants from in excess of 100 countries and is an annual fixture in my calendar. Ahead of Speexx Exchange, which takes place on the eve of Online Educa Berlin, we are running our annual audit of global CXOs, HR, L&D professionals and training consultants who are also scheduled to attend the event. Early findings of the Speexx Exchange 2013-14 Survey show some interesting insights which I’m pleased to share with you. We asked L&D professionals worldwide about the main benefits they see in e-enabled learning. 60 per cent said that "flexibility and instant accessibility" were the key advantages they gained, followed by a "reduction of direct training costs" (cited by 14 per cent). It is encouraging to see that HR and L&D managers are already registering financial benefits of e-learning programmes. In line with this trend, more than half of respondents indicate that they plan to increase the proportion of their online training budget within the next three years to support a more diverse and dispersed workforce. As an important element of e-learning, mobile learning is soaring in all industries. 38 per cent confirmed that they were actively supporting mobile learning within their organisation and 19 per cent plan to implement a mobile learning strategy within the next three years. The main factors considered to be hampering mobile learning in the workplace were "lack of integration", "No BYOD policy in place" and "corporate data security issues". In addition, the survey shows that social learning is a popular concept, but has not yet been implemented as widely as mobile learning. Only 23 per cent currently have a social learning strategy in place, while 30 per cent plan to introduce it by 2016 and the rest have no social learning projects. By contrast, the vast majority strongly believe in the potential of social learning, with 90 per cent considering it to become either "very effective" or "somewhat effective" by 2016. Read full post via Training Journal.

Once upon a time, employees went to the office and completed their tasks there on company-owned computers and telephones. These days, employees are just as likely to perform those same tasks on devices they themselves own. But as the popularity of ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) grows, employers are starting to wonder: Umm, shouldn’t we have a policy about that? BYOD is becoming the norm worldwide Bringing your own device to work is becoming increasingly common at companies around the globe. The research organization Logicalis determined that especially in high-growth markets like Brazil, Russia, India, UAE and Malaysia, nearly 75 percent of employees were likely to use devices they themselves had bought and paid for. In mature developed markets, like the United States, the rates were more moderate, at about 44 percent. At first glance, letting employees use their own laptops and smartphones seems like a pretty good idea. Some studies have shown that mobile devices increase productivity, and employees certainly prefer not having to carry around two smartphones or laptops. In some industries, being able to use your own device at work makes a company seem like a more desirable employer. Flexible but overworked? The report ‘Mobile Workforce’ from iPass indicates that the flexible work schedules made possible through BYOD implementation is also causing many employees to work up to 20 additional hours per week. One third never fully disconnects, even during personal time. Just eight percent disconnect completely from work while on vacation. There are, however, enormous security risks involved with implementing BYOD. In the recent Speexx Exchange 2013 Survey, "Corporate data security issues" was cited as one of the main issue hampering mobile learning in the workplace. For example, what happens if the device is stolen or compromised?  And how can companies ensure that employees provide and maintain at least basic security standards? Lack of a true BYOD policy Recent research has shown that, internationally, only about 20 percent of employees have signed some sort of BYOD policy. Interestingly, an Aberdeen Group study found that 75 percent of surveyed organizations allow employee BYOD, and an amazing 51 percent could bring in any device, with little or no policy limitations. So if a company decides it wants to benefit from BYOD without getting burned, it makes sense to develop a company policy that defines exactly what sensitive company information must be protected, and who should have access to it. Getting to the heart of mobile device management There are two typical approaches for securing information. Companies can limit which device users use to access the company network, or the data itself can be protected so that anyone with any device can access it, but only if they have the right password. Either of these approaches, or a combination of both, becomes the heart of a mobile device management (MDM) policy. The crucial final step, of course, is making sure employees are educated about the policy once it exists. It is important that everyone understand why such a policy is needed and that there are no exceptions. Only then can employers and employees expect the benefits of BYOD to really pay off. Interested in mobile learning? Find out how Speexx can help you foster mobile language training in the workplace.

Speexx Exchange, our global e-learning and talent management conference is approaching fast and in line with this, we are running our annual Reality Check survey. Join now and you could win a brand-new iPad. Each year, we assess the industry by asking senior HR and L&D professionals from all over the world about how they manage e-learning and talent issues in their organizations and what challenges they are dealing with. We’ll be presenting the first survey results at conference Speexx Exchange which is taking place in Berlin, Madrid and Paris and Rome this year - so make sure you save your seat! Our latest whitepaper "Empowering Communication - what’s in it for the bottom line?" is based on first-hand research which we carried out among some 230 organizations worldwide last year. Here’s a sneak preview for you: Executive summary "Organizations that empower communication skills not only open themselves up to cloud-based talent management and e-learning, but also gain a significant competitive advantage over those retaining local, silo-based solutions. Communication is the glue holding together any organization. It can make or break business success in a globally competitive market. Effective communication across borders is essential, not just for increasing business productivity and enlarging the global talent pool, but for building a competitive advantage in today’s borderless workforce. Without communication, a global cloud-based solution cannot be implemented. Nor can any real partnerships be formed between e-learning providers and Human Resources (HR). Capability development is the number one issue driving business growth at the moment. Although the majority of organizations agree and aim to move towards cloud-based learning management systems (LMS) by 2015, a surprising number of them are still using local silo-based systems. The truth is that at this rate, most will not make the move in time and will miss the target. What organizations gain from e-learning E-learning sets the stage for communication and is a vital component of any HR and L&D strategy. Effective communication opens up intercultural dialogue and better working relationships among staff. This has a knock-on effect of increasing efficiency, quality, accuracy and the smooth running of business operations - all key parameters for productivity and growth. As cloud-based technology has helped create a tighter global talent management network, the pressure is on organizations to adopt one streamlined process across the board that encapsulates the needs of all their international counterparts. Many organizations have already recognized the numerous benefits of e-learning and are implementing programmes across nearly every skills area such as business communication skills, IT skills and customer service skills. The recent Towards Maturity[1] Benchmark Survey indicated that there is almost four times as much e-enablement of language training in 2012 compared to 2010. One example is Japanese-based company, Rakuten[2], which operates in 18 countries, covering more than a dozen languages. The company implemented an "Englishnization" policy to tackle its corporate communication skills gap on a global level. This not only improved communication, but also propelled the organization into the ranks of global expansion leadership. Despite these trends, the Towards Maturity Benchmark Survey also highlights that e-learning is still not seen as a management priority by 53 percent of organizations surveyed, which is actually an increase from 45 percent in 2011. The top obstacles to adopting e-learning technology include lack of skills amongst employees to manage their own learning (63 percent) and the lack of knowledge of use and implementation (63 percent). Nevertheless, organizations need to realise that the approach required in today’s global environment is changing fast. It involves a cloud-based solution encompassing communication development, leadership development, technical training and compliance, which it must apply against its talent management strategy." Read more in the full whitepaper.   1 http://www.towardsmaturity.org/article/2012/05/14/2012-13-towards-maturity-benchmark/ 2 http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/04/unify_your_global_company_through.html